Current Issues in Education (E-Journal, Arizona State University)
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Editorial Introduction: (Re)Designing Education for Better Futures: Student-Centered and Collaborative Approaches to Equity and Transformation
Full text linkIn this editorial for Volume 26, Issue 1 of Current Issues in Education, we build on the editors’ previous call to slow down and imagine what can/is emerging, even amidst crisis. Against the backdrop of escalating political attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in education—particularly under the second Trump administration—we highlight how scholars and practitioners are intentionally designing education rooted in care, belonging, and justice. This issue features ten articles organized into three thematic strands: Centering Student Identity and Well-being to Improve Educational Experiences; Reimagining Support Systems: Experiences of Belonging in Higher Education; and Building Bridges: Collaborative Approaches to Educational Transformation. Collectively, these works exemplify the power of interdisciplinary, student-centered, and equity-driven research to sustain transformative educational practices in turbulent times. We argue that the future of education must be shaped not only through resistance, but through ethical, relational, and creative redesign—reflecting the futures we dare to imagine
Teacher SEL Space: Addressing Beginning Teachers’ Social Emotional Learning in a Support Group Structure
Full text linkThere is evidence that ongoing social emotional learning (SEL) needs among teachers negatively impact teacher retention and student learning. At the same time, teachers’ SEL has been insufficiently addressed in teacher preparation. As a consequence, preservice and early-career teachers often lack the tools, perspective, and support to address their own SEL needs. The article describes a pilot project where current candidates and recent graduates in a teacher preparation program came together in an ongoing support group structure to share struggles, successes, and initiatives, support and advise each other, and reflect on their ongoing journey. After a review of the literature on teachers’ SEL needs, gaps and models in teacher preparation, and the potential benefits of support groups, data from the pilot “SEL Space” meetings are presented and discussed, with an emphasis on thematic patterns, evolution over time, and participants’ reflection on the process. Implications for practice and research are presented
Editorial Introduction: In the Face of Urgency, Making Space for the Emerging
Full text linkThis Editorial Introduction reflects on the challenges and complexities facing education amidst political, social, and environmental crises, emphasizing the need to engage with emerging solutions rather than being paralyzed by urgency. In the context of the current multicrisis, it envisions CIE as a beacon of hope—a space to step back and recognize emerging efforts. We call for slowing down, not as a passive act but as an active effort to nurture the possibilities arising from these crises. The introduction highlights the five articles in this issue, featuring scholars addressing real problems in education, exploring alternatives, and uncovering unexpected possibilities. From teaching white nationalism in the Trump era to navigating the challenges faced by women in online doctoral programs, or examining skateboarding as a counterculture in higher education, these studies illuminate the layered realities of education and society
Teaching About White Nationalism: Ethics, Vulnerability & Racial Pain in Learning Environments
Full text linkU.S. white nationalism is virulent and escalating, expressing itself through a variety of digital and media spheres, violent assaults on Black, Jewish, Muslim, migrant and indigenous communities, and via increasing participation and alliance-building in mainstream politics. Notwithstanding the public presence, impact, and persistence of white nationalist organizations, education remains thin. These educational deficits have alarming implications, signaling a lack of public readiness to engage and challenge white nationalist movement building. Fostering a conversation between educators is therefore both productive and compelling. Such dialogue can catalyze increased communal and scholarly commitment to providing education about white nationalism, grounded in the premise that critical education is a necessary element of effective racial justice work. As a contribution to this vital discourse, we attend to the complex ethical challenges involved in the process of learning about white supremacist organizing, using the example of U.S. white nationalism
Text Sets: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Literature
Full text linkText sets (also referred to as linked text sets, multimodal texts, thematic texts, multi texts, focus units, reading across texts, and paired readings or sets) are utilized in classrooms to promote reading, learning, and understanding of multiple perspectives. There has not been an analysis of studies on text sets or on the wide-ranging effects of text sets. The purpose of this review was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of text sets and their effects on student achievement. Several writings describing text sets and their development, as well as experimental studies reporting on the effects of text sets, were identified through a thorough database search. Findings from this review reveal that there are over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters and theses related to text sets. There is evidence to support the use of text sets for helping preschool to college age students gain multiple perspectives on a topic, become highly engaged and motivated, and improve critical thinking, comprehension and writing skills
Insider Knowledge, Outsider Practice: The Disruptive Liberatory Potential of Skateboarding in US Higher Education
Full text linkThis conceptual paper articulates how the unique social, experiential, and navigational perspectives of college skateboarders contribute to their potential as changemakers in higher education. Drawing from the theory of campus ecology and multidisciplinary body of skateboarding scholarly literature, this paper applies the unique navigational and analytical lenses of skate culture to render visible oppressive institutional conditions that are currently absent from educational scholarship. In order to accomplish this application, I conduct an extensive search for literature, and begin the writing by contextualizing the macro- and micro-systemic elements of the U.S. tertiary system and emplacing skateboarding within them. Then, I use skate scholarship to argue that skateboarding provides new critical perspectives on the philosophies of public space, policing, and social deterrence that manifest in university spaces. Additionally, this work explores campus skaters’ resistance to systemic challenges such as racism, cisheteropatriarchy, and neoliberal capitalism. I conclude by offering future directions for both theoretical and empirical research that employ skateboarding as a lens through which to examine U.S. higher education
Identifying and Navigating the Barriers of Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education
Full text linkParental involvement in early childhood education significantly impacts children's academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Extensive research indicates that parental involvement plays a more influential role in a child's academic success compared to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or educational background. However, a noticeable gap exists between the desired and actual levels of parental involvement, often attributed to identifiable barriers. This study aims to delineate these obstacles and proposes cost-effective, actionable steps to overcome them. We introduce specific strategies that enhance the home-school partnership and recommend that schools actively teach and promote these activities. These practices highlight the dual importance of parental support for school-based learning and school support for home-based activities
Balancing Acts: Navigating the Complexities of Female Online Doctoral Journeys
Full text linkThis study delves into the experiences of two female online doctoral students who navigate the complexities of motherhood and rural living, aiming to enhance understanding and improve persistence rates in their academic pursuits. By employing a narrative inquiry approach, the research highlights the transformative power of narratives and storytelling in gaining insights into the lives of these students. The findings illuminate systemic barriers that limit their access to research opportunities and collaborative spaces. The study underscores the necessity of creating inclusive environments, fostering effective virtual mentorship, and offering comprehensive support for health and well-being. Through these targeted strategies, educational institutions can play a pivotal role in fostering a more equitable and supportive landscape for all doctoral students, particularly those identifying as female. Such efforts are instrumental in not only enhancing their academic success but also in ensuring their personal well-being and growth
Hip Hop, Social Reproduction, and the Possible Selves of Young Black Men
Full text linkTwenty-seven years ago, the documentary Hoop Dreams solidified a theory—that the world of athletics was one of the few places where adolescent Black males could find success. By the late 1990s, researchers were framing athletics as the next direction in the Civil Rights Movement.
In this article, I argue that the historical framing of Black boys in athletics—as a way up, a way out—is similar to the contemporary framing of Black boys in Hip Hop Based Education (HHBE). Using an ethnographic case example of the Homeboys, a group of adolescent Black males experiencing homelessness, I maintain that HHBE, without critical implementation and reflection, limits the possible selves of Black boys in socially reproductive ways. Unlike Hoop Dreams, which historically created an incentive to stay invested in formal educational settings, HHBE offers little “possible selves” development for young Black men. This research asserts that if HHBE, and the myriad ways
Hip Hop is taken up in formal and informal educational settings is not dually paired with the critical process of institutional actors envisioning all the possible selves that black boys can become, then it becomes another hegemonic socially reproductive tool wielded by educators
Recognizing Teacher Well-being as Essential for Professional Development: Lessons Learned from Collaborating with Teachers at a Private Tutoring Center in China
Full text linkMany educators are required to further their knowledge and skills through professional development initiatives. These programs are affected by numerous elements. A crucial but often overlooked factor is the well-being of teachers. This qualitative case study explores how acknowledging the well-being of two participants and addressing their needs influenced their involvement in a professional development initiative. These educators worked on developing their pedagogical knowledge and practices related to reading instruction for students learning English as a foreign language. Recognizing these participants’ well-being necessitated being cognizant of whether they were in a healthy place. This awareness emerged from direct observations of lessons, interviews with teachers, and the journey maps they created and narrated. The participants voiced concerns about how to engage with this program independently. They also had to contend with contextual factors that regulated how they responded to and progressed through this program. Appreciating these aspects of their affective states led to a calibrated approach to support and guidance based on the unique needs of each participant. When they received assistance tailored to their needs, these teachers were better positioned to benefit